Learn all you need to know about the EDH Commander format of Magic the Gathering

EDH Precons

EDH Preconstructed Decks

There are five EDH Commander Preconstructed Decks. When they first came out back in 2011 the decks suggested retail were only $29.99. These same decks now sell for $60 and up on amazon.com and eBay.com. So the big question is are these EDH Precons worth it? Let’s take a look at each deck separately.

“Heavenly Inferno”

This decks commander is Kaalia of the Vast. This deck currently sells for $100 or more on eBay. I think this deck is constructed pretty well for a precon. However I just do not see the price that you would pay for it. If you plan on customizing your deck you are not going to use a lot of these cards. The price was definitely a steal when it first came out for a $29.99 retail price but what its selling for I do not think its worth it. A big bulk of the cards in this deck are cheaper most of the big creatures do not cost more than a few dollars because they are so hard to play in standard format.

“Mirror Mastery”

This decks Primary EDH commander is Riku of Two Reflections. This deck will sell between $60-$70. As the other EDH precons you will most likely customize this deck a lot if you want to make it better. If you can get this deck in the $50-$60 range I would say this deck is worth it. Check out what is in this deck and see if you like the strategy that it is based around. Part of the reason I like this deck is because it comes with two great choices for Commanders not only is Riku of Two Reflections good but Animar, Soul of Elements is a good commander as well so you could potentially split the deck in to two EDH decks and expand on each commanders strategy.

“Counterpunch”

The commander for this EDH precon is Ghave, Guru of Spores. This deck generally goes for about $70. The strategy in this deck for Ghave, Guru of Spores is not one that I would typically use but it seems like a powerhouse for precon deck. If you want to purchase a precon deck just so you can join EDH games with your friends and do not plan on putting much money into it this seems like it would be a solid EDH Precon to try.

“Political Puppets”

The commander for the EDH Precon is Zedruu the Greathearted. This deck only sells between $50 and $60 which is one of the lower costing of the EDH Precon decks. I think this low cost is a reflection on how good the actual precon deck. The whole idea of Zedruu the Greathearted as a commander sounds good in theory with a whole strategy around it but I do not think it would play well. Just about everyone plays tutors and a homeward path. Granted you could play land destruction to destroy homeward path but I do not think this is the best strategy out of all the EDH Precons.

“Devour for Power”

The Devour for Power precon has The Mimeoplasm as its commander. I like this deck, I like the commander, I like the colors and I like what it comes with. I think this deck is the best valued and most useful EDH Precons out of the five. Many of the cards in this deck you would use after customizing it and it goes for between $60 and $70.

So are these EDH Precons worth it?

All of these prices I estimated are based on eBays current prices for Buy it now items. The same precons are probably worth a bit more on amazon so I would buy through eBay if you have a choice. Again for a full list of the decks click here. I suggest you decide on what commander you want to use before making or buying a deck then decide if the precons strategy will work with you. If you are like me most of these Precons are not worth it for the current prcies because I will customize the deck and take out many of the cards to make it the best possible EDH deck I can make.

Deck Building Guide

EDH Commander Deck Building Guide

1. If you do not know the rules for EDH already then make sure you learn them before creating your deck. Click here for EDH Rules.

2. When first building your EDH Deck determining your EDH General helps determine your strategy and what colors you use. Check out the EDH Generals List for ideas.

3. After select your General and know what colors you are using in your EDH Deck you will find that some Magic Cards will work well in most EDH decks with the same colors. Check out the list of EDH Staples.

4. If you are having trouble determining what deck strategy to use for your EDH Deck try looking at other deck with the same EDH General this will also give you an idea of what cards you can use. I suggest checking out http://tappedout.net/ to check out different decks.

5. Also when building an EDH deck many strategies revolve around specific abilities or creature types. The best way to find all the alternatives for these types and abilities is to do some research at http://gatherer.wizards.com/ and use the search function to your advantage.

6. When you are using a Multicolored deck you need to make sure you have a good variation of lands that produce different color mana. Check out some multi colored producing lands.(If you have a monocolored Commander you can skip checking out the multicolored producing lands of course)

7. After you find multicolored producing lands to make sure your mana base is sufficient check out lands that will support your deck strategy.

8.Test your new EDH deck out with your friends to best decide what your deck needs.